A Spy Story
by LittleCanadianGirl
Summary: In Japanese occupied Shanghai during World War 2, Wang Yue and her family work as spies for an underground spy network. Her life, although constantly in danger, is stable. Until a wanted Russian officer crashes into her life- literally. Rofem!Chu, WW2 fic.
1. Chapter 1

A Spy Story

Chapter 1

"Thank you, Xiang." A young woman seated at a poorly made wooden desk with a fountain pen and a small scrap of paper in hand said to a teenaged boy standing next to her.

"Hm." The dark haired boy nodded. "Don't waste precious time talking like this."

"I'm not wasting it, I'm spending it with my cousin whom I see for only a few waking hours every day, who risks his life daily to spy on the invaders of our homeland to protect our country." The young woman replied. Xiang's face reddened slightly, his face not showing the slightest emotion. He inwardly hoped that the dim light of the room the two were in would help mask his face.

"Yue, you do the same thing. No need to make me sound so noble."

"Alright, alright."

"I need to go now. The Japanese are having another war meeting today."

"Alright. I need to get started on this new message." Yue glanced at the small piece of paper clutched in her hand. She sighed slightly, knowing the long task before her. Yue lifted a slender hand to gently pat the boy's cheek.

"You're such a big boy now." Xiang blushed again, embarrassed. "Be safe, okay? I can't lose you like…" Yue trailed off. The two both knew who she was talking of.

"I will, I'm always okay."

"Don't become overconfident. That's always the downfall of the greatest spies." Yue warned. She knew that fact too well, having lost a parent and too many relatives to overconfidence.

"I'm just stating a fact. I'll never be captured." Xiang had a tint of defiance in his voice.

"Just be safe, and don't say things like that. It's bad luck."

"Superstitions. Anyways, I'm leaving."

Xiang walked with quick, purposeful strides over to the curtained window of their apartment. With a flick of his hand, the thin curtain was pulled away to reveal a slightly dirty window. Light streamed into the formerly dark room, making both occupants wince and blink away tears.

After adjusting to the light, Xiang flipped open the window and put one foot on the windowsill.

Xiang glanced below him. It would be a eight story fall if he were to lose his balance. He would surely die, and crush the many people milling about on the street.

Taking a deep breath, Xiang leapt from the windowsill to the roof of the building opposite of theirs. No one on the street noticed him jumping from one building to another, all of them too concentrated on surviving the seemingly never-ending war years.

Yue shut the window after her cousin had gone, and watched as he nimbly ran across roofs of buildings to his destination. After muttering a quick prayer to whatever Gods were listening, Yue closed the curtains.

She walked over to her desk and opened the drawer. In there sat a half-finished traditional chinese painting. A paintbrush and a bottle of black ink sat quietly beside it. Yue's slender hand reached into the drawer and retrieved all three items.

She quickly uncapped the bottle of ink and poured a small portion of it into a small bowl sitting on her desk. Yue grabbed her paintbrush and swiped it a few times around the bowl, before lifting it up and stopping to contemplate the painting before her.

The painting showed a eagle attacking a bleeding chicken, defending her egg. The eagle's eyes were sharp and calculating, black dots upon the white head of the eagle. The chicken cowered beneath the eagle's attacks, attempting to defend it self. The eagle's sharp beak connected with the chicken's stomach, drawing a few minuscule drops of blood.

The painting wasn't just a painting. As a spy, nothing is ever done for leisure. Everything had a purpose, just like the painting had one. The painting conveyed an important message, one which could save thousands of lives.

The eagle represented the Japanese empire, attacking the weakened nation of China. The chicken showed the shape of China, which made it easier to show which area of China would be attacked.

The stomach of China was the province of Guangxi, which Xiang had found out that the Japanese were planning to attack next. The painting would be passed through a complex network of Chinese, defected Japanese and Russian spies scattered across China. Soon, the message would be conveyed to the people of Guangxi, giving thousands of families the opportunity to evacuate the province, into neighboring provinces.

Her brush moved rapidly across the surface of the paper, making quick strokes. The unfinished painting was quickly completed, and Yue left the glistening ink to dry as she washed her hands.

Yue filled a small wooden bucket with cold water from her tap. The black ink smeared on her hands quickly dissolved and turned the clear water a murky grey. After making sure her hands were clean, she lifted the bucket and dumped the water down the drain.

She walked over to her desk to make sure that her painting was dry. Grabbing a rag, Yue patted the newly applied ink and pulled the rag away to inspect the dryness of it. After determining that the painting was indeed dry, Yue rummaged around her room to find a white cloth bag to hold the painting in.

Yue also brought along her purse, an excuse to drop by the local wet market and to give her message to the leader of the Hongkou district spy network.

Grabbing her red jacket, Yue headed out her door. She didn't bother locking it, knowing that none of the other occupants of her building would bother trying to steal something when no one had anything to be stolen.

Yue stuffed the painting unceremoniously into her bag as she ran down the stairs. She was intercepted by a Japanese guard the minute she stepped out of the door.

"You go?" The young man questioned in heavily accented Mandarin.

"I'm going to the market to buy some food, and then to deliver a painting." Yue replied in flawless Japanese. She had learned Japanese from a young age, as her step-father was Japanese. Yue sighed as she reminisced about the time before the war started, when her parents were still with her.

"You speak Japanese?" The soldier sounded highly suspicious.

"I studied painting in Japan when I was younger," Yue lied "Japanese painting techniques are the best."

The soldier looked pleased when she said that. "Very well. Let me see your painting. I want to see how an inferior Chinese can learn Japanese painting techniques."

Yue grit her teeth as she dug around her bag for the painting. As the soldier unrolled the painting, his eyes widened slightly at the quality of the painting.

"You are good. For an inferior." The soldier added.

"Thank you. Am I cleared to go?"

"You may."

Yue hurried away, as the soldier swooped down upon an old man who was out for a walk.

_Thank goodness he wasn't the trouble-making type. _Yue thanked the gods. She glanced at the body of a young man shot in the back of the head lying by the side of the road. Probably an assassin, working for a different underground network than hers.

Yue was tempted to at least move his body to a respectful cemetery to get him a proper funeral with his ancestors, but was stopped as a watchman from his tower glared at her as she stared at the body. Instead, she held her bag closer to her body as she hurried on to her destination.

Before long, she had made it to the crowded market. Store owners called out the price of their vegetables and rice, attempting to gain customers. Yue waved away several shop owners trying to shove bags of rice into her face, and made her way carefully into the back of the market.

At the back of the market, it was a lot quieter than at the front. There were fewer shops, and barely any customers. In fact, only two stalls were there, and one was empty, manned by an old woman with her head on her empty table, snoozing the day away.

Yue walked over to the other stall, one manned by a teenaged girl with flowers in her hair and a long, wild curl sticking out of her otherwise perfect hair.

"Hello, Mei." She addressed her younger cousin, who was the sister of Xiang.

"Hello, cousin." Mei didn't look Yue in the eye. Things had been tense since… something both of them didn't want to talk about happened.

"Uncle is out back?" Yue gestured vaguely at the wall behind Mei.

Mei nodded, and moved away as Yue swiftly pulled open a secret door in the wall behind them.

A small tunnel was dug into the wall and down into the ground, lit by a single hanging lightbulb. Stairs were roughly carved into the ground, uneven and barely visible. Yue quietly shut the door behind her, as she swiftly descended into the ground.

The tunnel didn't go on for very long, and soon, Yue reached a small wooden door with a door handle that was painted gold. She knocked twice, before a man's voice beckoned her in.

"Hello, Uncle." Yue bowed.

"Sit down, sit down." The man sitting before a desk gestured at the seat opposite of him. Yue took out the painting and set her bag down before sitting down.

"What have you got for me today?"

Yue said nothing as she unfurled the painting. "Guangxi." Was all she said.

"They're heading south… do they mean to take Hong Kong?"

"I don't know. All I know is what Xiang told me."

"How is my son? I haven't seen him in weeks."

"He's good enough. He got a burn on his arm from playing with his fireworks outside one day, but that's about it."

The man smiled a weary smile. "I'm so sorry for not being able to take care of him, making you do my job."

"It's nothing. After all, the leader should have complete freedom to do what needs to be done." Yue replied smoothly.

"Alright. You'll be going soon?"

"Yes I will. I have to get some food, then I'll have to find a way to get some extra money. I've been running out lately. Do you have any to spare?"

"We're all penniless."

"Ah. Well, I'll just do what I have to do."

"I'm sorry I wasn't of any help."

"Good bye." Yue turned to leave the room.

"Wait, wait. There's something I need you to give Xiang."

Yue stopped and turned back to her uncle. In his large hand was clutched a tiny talisman of a jade dragon on a black string.

"It's good luck for him."

"I'll make sure her gets it."

"Thank you so much."

Yue didn't respond as she opened the door and headed out the tunnel again. Mei opened the door for her as she slipped out, and pretended to be a customer buying rice from Mei. As Mei filled a small bag with rice, she asked Yue. "What's the bad news this time?"

"Don't talk like that. It's not normal for your age."

"And being in war isn't normal for my age."

"Alright, you've got me. This doesn't leak out to anyone." Yue warned, knowing her cousin's tendency to gossip.

"I won't! I swear."

"Guangxi."

"And…?"

"No. I've already said too much."

"Alright, alright." Mei whined a bit, indignant at how Yue was treating her. "I just want to know what's going on for a change! I can't see Xiang or anyone I know anymore. At least let me know what's going on!" The girl ranted.

"I'm sorry, Mei. I want to tell you too, but I can't."

"Can you?"

"I'm leaving now." With that, Yue turned her back to her cousin and merged with the crowd in the middle of the market. She then carefully made her way back to her apartment, avoiding any confrontations with soldiers.

"I suppose I'll rest a bit. I have nothing to do." With that, Yue found her bed and flung off her cloth shoes. They hit the wall with a dull thump, and slid down to the floor. Yue didn't bother righting them, and just closed her eyes and curled up in her thin blankets. Within minutes, she was asleep, all worries gone. Even if for just a few hours.

Author's Note: I know I should be working on Half-Alive Doll, but I honestly can't think of how to keep the story going. To anyone who's reading it, sorry! Also, please review! I really want to see what people think of this story.


	2. Chapter 2

A Spy Story

Chapter 2

Yue awoke to someone staring down at her. She yelped and pulled her sheets up tightly before realizing it was Xiang.

"Oh! You're back."

"How long have you been sleeping? You were supposed to pretend to pick me up at school. I had to walk back myself. The soldiers kept on staring at me." Xiang berated her.

Yue glanced at her watch. It was always 15 minutes fast, but even if it was, it was still 9:30 in the evening.

"I…" Yue guiltily hid her face. "I fell asleep at around 4…"

"You slept a solid 13 hours yesterday. How can you still sleep?" Xiang's expression was a curious mixture of curiosity, exasperation and a small tinge of laughter.

"What can I say… I'm an old woman." Yue joked.

"If 21 counts as old."

"I wonder how old I'll have to claim to be when I actually am an old woman." Yue thought for a second. "Provide I live that long."

"Shut up about depressing things."

The distant sound of alarm bells started going off. Yue leapt out of the bed and ran with Xiang to the window. The formerly empty looking building opposite of theirs suddenly became a beehive of activity as it's occupants all craned their necks to see what the commotion was about.

The apartment across of theirs housed an elderly pair who always seemed to have an unlimited access to "grandma-candies". Yue used to constantly hop over to their house and have tea and sweets with the two. She reminisced on those times as the pair craned their bony necks out.

"Do you have any idea what this is, child?" The old lady asked, old voice raspy and dry. She squinted at Xiang and Yue.

"I'll bet it's those Japs… " the old man complained to no one in particular. "I swear, I'll drive them out myself if it weren't for these old bones."

"Grandpa," Yue called out to the man "It'll be over soon. I promise."

"Child, we all wish we can promise it'll be over soon."

Yue kept silent.

The Chinese residents of the buildings kept on staring at the distant swirls of dust, trying to make out where the tanks were going. The columns of dust were a common occurrence, something the Japanese got out whenever they needed to intimidate the Chinese "to let them know their place".

Yue squinted into the columns of dust. They weren't moving anywhere, like they usually did. In fact, the tanks seemed to be moving straight towards them.

"My, those tanks are slow!" The old lady remarked. "The Japs must be running out of gas!"

Yue suddenly felt herself being jerked back by Xiang. He nearly tore the curtains off in his rush to get inside the house.

"They're coming for me. One of them saw me head here after school."

"Why the hell didn't you go somewhere else?"

"Because I wasn't thinking straight!" Xiang fumed. The dim looking officer had turned out to be not as dim as he had originally assumed. In fact, he was looking very intelligent at the moment. More intelligent than Xiang himself felt.

"Hide, then. Hide!"

"I'm trying to!"

The two cousins scrambled around to floor for the loose floorboard where they had hid numerous agents as they travelled through Shanghai.

"Found it! Get in."

Xiang squeezed into the small space between floors. A look of disgust came over his normally blank face. He lifted a dead mouse out and tossed it to Yue before retreating completely into the small space.

"Be quiet. You know where to go, don't you?"

"I'm not stupid."

"Well, judging by what you did today…" Yue wondered wether she should say something mean to her cousin, but decided not to. After all, every time Xiang left could be the last time she ever saw him.

"Just be safe, won't you?"

"Aren't I always?" Xiang didn't bother answering properly before disappearing.

Yue jumped about a foot in the air when a loud ramming on her door woke her out of her little daze. She flattened out her slightly wavy brown hair before heading to open the door, regretting the fact that she didn't change out of her wrinkled clothing before jumping out of bed.

The minute she unlocked the door, the Japanese soldiers burst into the house. A young, rather inexperienced looking man guarded Yue and held her against the wall with the butt of his gun. Yue noted with a small grin that his hands shook slightly.

"You, no smile." The man tried acting serious.

"Alright, alright."

The other soldiers had finished combing the walls and all the furniture for spies. Yue smirked at how none of them expected the small woman in rumpled clothing to be an important spy herself.

One of the men lifted the cover of Yue's desk and found her ink and brushes.

"What this?"

"I'm a painter." Yue rushed over to the man, eager to show off her abilities paying no heed to who she was showing off to.

The men watched as she swirled the paintbrush around on the ink-rubbing stone and poured water steadily from her cup to mix the ink rock into liquid ink. She then dipped her brush into the black liquid and drew a quick fish on a scrap piece of paper. The men watched, captivated by the graceful strokes of the brush.

"We leave now. Sorry for disturb., Miss." The men were obviously won over by her. Yue smirked as the door snapped shut. The trick worked every time. The men would be reminded of Japan, and leave her alone. It was strange why they did that, but it worked so Yue didn't question anything.

Yue walked calmly over to her sink to wash off the ink. Just as she was about to open the tap, a loud gunshot sounded below her building, followed by a tortured scream.

She ran over to the window and stuck her head completely out to see below. Yue saw a whole lot of dust and not much else, but it was obvious that someone was shot. She prayed to herself that it wasn't Xiang.

As the dust cleared, Yue felt her heart dropped to the bottom of her stomach. Xiang lay on the ground, blood gushing from somewhere Yue couldn't even tell. He was surrounded with no less than 10 soldiers, all aiming their guns at the teen.

"Are you with the Russians?"

"No!" Xiang refused to give in.

"YOu were searching for the plane. We've already shot down your friends. No use looking at the sky."

Russians? What Russians? Yue looked up at the sky herself to check if there were Russian planes circling above to help the Chinese. Only the sun gleamed in the sun, brighter than any fire on earth.

"I swear! I'm not with the Russians or whoever you're talking about!" Xiang desperately yelled.

"We're taking you. The general said to bring any spies to him."

Two men stepped forward and roughly grabbed Xiang by the arms. The boy screamed in pain as they dragged him down the bloody streets of Shanghai. Everyone who had been watching quickly looked away and pretended not to have seen anything. Knowing the Japanese, even looking at the blood could get them arrested.

Yue collapsed onto her knees and wept. The salty tears trickled down her pale cheeks and her eyes squeezed together to form slits. The muffled screams that came from her was pure grief.

Her cousin… Her only connection to the life she had before.

Gone.

Taken.

Just like everyone else she knew.

She thought bitterly to herself; When will it be my time? Everyone's gone except uncle and Mei. I'd rather die first than let them die. It'll be easier anyhow. I'll be with everyone.

Yue shook her head. Wishing she would die would mean admitting that she let the Japanese had won. She had to fight until the last breath.

She wasn't going to let Xiang get captured in vain.

"Funny how fast my moods have been changing lately. Am I going to have a mental breakdown soon? I'm absolutely crazy." Yue mused to herself.

"Are you absolutely certain it was him?"

"I've already told you. I…" Yue was at a loss for words at the sight of her forever strong uncle breaking down before her.

"Leave. Tell Mei to take a break and go somewhere. I need time alone." Her uncle choked out.

Yue left immediately. She didn't need another reminder. She climbed out of the small room and met with Mei. Mei's warm brown eyes begged Yue to tell her everything, but Yue waved for her to go. Mei's face scrunched up in a furious scowl as she whipped her head around and stalked off. The furious girl spat obscenities at Yue for not telling her anything. Yue didn't respond.

She couldn't tell Mei.

It would kill her to know her brother, the only person she loved still alive was taken. Just like the person she had loved the most before.

Yue sighed at the thought of the latter.

"Why?" Yue sighed as she tread slowly across the market to head home. Gossip about Xiang was ripe. Women gathered in groups and whispered to each other behind manicured hands. They glanced at each other, then laughed. Yue grit her teeth and forced herself to walk past these gaggles of women.

Yue walked up the many stairs to her apartment at the top of her building. She fumbled for her keys and unlocked the door.

Before she even had both feet in the apartment, a large, gloved hand covered her mouth and a huge body crashed into hers and pulled her inside the apartment. An obviously Russian voice hissed at her to not say anything, and she felt a metal instrument press against her neck.


End file.
